Quero hits 1st homer to back Houser's gem as White Sox edge Rockies in matchup of MLB's worst

DENVER (AP) — Adrian Houser allowed two hits in eight innings and rookie catcher Edgar Quero hit his first major league home run — a tiebreaking solo shot in the sixth that sent the Chicago White Sox past the Colorado Rockies 3-2 on Friday night.

Rookie reliever Grant Taylor gave up a two-out single to Mickey Moniak in the ninth before striking out Ryan McMahon for his third save.

In a matchup between the two worst teams in the majors, Houser (4-2) permitted two unearned runs on four hits and two walks. He hasn’t yielded more than three runs in any of his eight starts this season. The veteran right-hander was coming off seven sharp innings in a 1-0 win over the Giants that Taylor also saved.

Andrew Benintendi and Miguel Vargas opened the fourth with singles against Antonio Senzatela (3-12), and Quero walked to load the bases. Michael A. Taylor's two-out single gave Chicago a 2-0 lead.

Michael Toglia doubled in the fifth and scored on a throwing error by third baseman Josh Rojas. Tyler Freeman doubled to tie it at 2.

Quero gave Chicago the lead with a 401-foot drive to right field — before getting the silent treatment from his teammates when he returned to the dugout.

Senzatela leads the majors in losses after allowing three runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.

White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery had a memorable big league debut after being called up from Triple-A Charlotte. He became the second player since 1920 to reach on catcher’s interference in his first plate appearance, then made a diving, over-the-shoulder catch to end the second inning. He finished 0 for 2 with a walk.

Chicago (29-59) kept the Rockies (20-68) from winning back-to-back home games for the first time this season.

White Sox RHP Jonathan Cannon (2-7, 4.59 ERA) starts Saturday opposite Rockies RHP Germán Márquez (3-9, 5.62).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Colorado Rockies' Tyler Freeman doubles to drive in a run off Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Adrian Houser in the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, July 4, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Adrian Houser works against the Colorado Rockies in the eighth inning of a baseball game Friday, July 4, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Chicago White Sox's Edgar Quero gestures to the bullpen as he circles the bases after hitting a solo home run off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Antonio Senzatela in the sixth inning of a baseball game Friday, July 4, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Adrian Houser works against the Colorado Rockies in the first inning of a baseball game Friday, July 4, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Chicago White Sox's Edgar Quero gestures as he crosses home plate after hitting a solo home run off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Antonio Senzatela in the sixth inning of a baseball game Friday, July 4, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

ADELBODEN, Switzerland (AP) — The big surprise of the World Cup slalom season scored his second win Sunday adding to his fast-rising reputation before the Winter Olympics.

Paco Rassat raced to the fastest time in the second run to rise from fourth place, and push two Norwegians down the podium steps after they had been fastest in the morning run.

United States-born Atle Lie McGrath was edged out by 0.18 seconds and first-run leader Henrik Kristoffersen dropped to third, trailing 0.20 behind Rassat.

The 27-year-old Frenchman had a career-best result of ninth in World Cup races before this Olympic season started.

Rassat now has two wins, a third place and two sixth places this season and shapes as a medal contender for the Milano Cortina Olympics. The men’s slalom is on Feb. 16 at Bormio.

“To win on this crazy hill at Adelboden, It’s something really unbelievable," Rassat told Swiss broadcaster RTS, describing his season as “a magnificent surprise.”

Rassat also took the lead in the seasonlong World Cup slalom standings, ahead of his France teammate Clément Noël, the defending Olympic champion. Noël tied for eighth Sunday.

McGrath was runner-up in the Adelboden slalom for the third time in four years.

“It’s kind of crazy,” said McGrath, whose father Felix skied for the U.S. at the 1988 Calgary Olympics. “I’m of course super happy, it’s such a challenging slope and mentally it’s one of the toughest places to perform because of this amazing crowd.”

Another packed finish-area crowd at Adelboden observed a minute’s silence before racing for the victims of the fatal fire in a bar in nearby Crans-Montana on New Year’s Day. Crans-Montana hosts men’s and women’s World Cup races in three weeks’ time.

The World Cup overall standings leader, four-time title holder Marco Odermatt, does not ski slalom and his huge lead was cut a little by Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, who placed fourth. Pinheiro Braathen was second to Odermatt in the classic giant slalom Saturday.

The men’s World Cup circuit stays in central Switzerland for the storied Lauberhorn meeting at Wengen, for a super-G on Friday, the classic downhill Saturday and a slalom Sunday.

AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing

Norway's Atle Lie McGrath reacts at the finish line during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen reacts at the finish line during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

France's Paco Rassat speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Zenoni)

France's Paco Rassat reacts at the finish line during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Finland's Eduard Hallberg speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Norway's Atle Lie McGrath speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Zenoni)

Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen ahead of an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)